In article , writes
wrote:
Not being careful enough, clearly, but his point was that an RCD would
always protect you. But as Andrew said, people are far more likely to
have an accident because of the lights not working!

An RCD will *not* "always protect you".

It will only reduce the severity of a shock you get if you get
some part of your body between live and earth. If you put your
finger across live and neutral (quite easy if doing something to
lights) then the RCD will do nothing at all for you.

Correct...

Even if the shock is caused by you being between live and earth
the RCD only reduces the *electrical* effect to (hopefully)
sub-lethal levels. You will still get a jolt and if you are, for
example, on a ladder may fall off and injure yourself just as
badly as if the RCD had not been there.

Beg to differ.. as someone who was glued to a ladder due to lack of an
RCD(.

And who had a similar event with an RCD and hardly noticed a thing)

RCDs are not a panacea.

No, but their much, much, better than nothing....


--
Tony Sayer